Review of Daniel (1993) by Mister C — 24 Jul 2008
One of the few underrated films of the early 1980's that went unnoticed. This one,among the rarest that a major studio release that enthusiastically portrays America's Old Left,though in this particular story,gloom naturally trumps the enthusiasm.
Inspired by the controversial 1953 execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for allegedly passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets,director Sidney Lumet's 1983 movie of E.L. Doctorow's fictionalized The Book of Daniel(screenplay by the author),deals primarity with the effect of family notoriety on children.
One offspring(Amanda Plummer) is institutionalized,while the other(Timothy Hutton) is a less obvious head case prone to caustic outbursts. With powerful childhood flashbacks,an ill-received(which got mixed reviews for the critics at the height of its release) movie that Lumet,himself regarded as one his best as weathered a quarter-century well remains a bonafide 80's masterpiece of briliant cinema.
This review of Daniel (1993) was written by Mister C on 24 Jul 2008.
Daniel has generally received positive reviews.
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